Blood and Skulls
by Hit Man Saint
Summary: A short story about the World Eaters assaulting an Imperial Guard recruitment world. The first of three short stories with these characters.
1. Prologue

They came at night. No one had expected the assault. No one had expected any attack. But it still happened. Five shapes in blood-spattered armor rushed towards the guardsman encampment. They were silent, only their footsteps registering their presence. A lone guardsman stood watch, and as he turned towards them, one of the figures stopped and raised a bulky object towards the tower. The guardsman saw too late, the missile launcher had already launched its payload. With a great explosion the tower collapsed. Instantly the sirens in the base started ringing. The five shapes resumed their sprint towards the base, leaving the launcher behind. A captain was trying to command the soldiers to fight back and form ranks but then the five figures were upon one, they roared, and all the guardsmen heard them.

**"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"**

The captain paled. And then all hell broke loose.


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Arthrax of the World Eaters stood above the decapitated form of a guardsman, chain axe and bolt pistol held menacingly. Blood dripped from the chain axe as it slowed its rotations, bits of flesh and gore escaping the teeth of the chains. His brothers had spread out and were tearing through the guardsman camp. Arthrax surveyed his surroundings. There were bodies everywhere and screams could be heard all through the camp. He saw a twitch in the pile of bodies next to him. Striding to it, he saw that one of the guardsmen still lived. He mag locked his bolt pistol to his thigh plate and reached to grab the man. As he did, the guardsman struck out.

_Not a chainsword this time_, thought Arthrax as he gritted his teeth at the pain of the blow. Snapping out with his hand, he grabbed the power sword out of the man's hand and lifted him by his collar.

"You ain't just a guardsman are you?", growled Arthrax. "You're the captain aren't you?"

"Please!", the man squealed, "Please don't kill me! I'll tell you anything you want!"

_The Imperium grows weaklings nowadays_, thought Arthrax. _I remember when men would stand up to death with dignity._

Arthrax lashed out and knocked the man out cold. Draping him over his shoulder, and grabbing the power sword of the man along with him, he strode off into the camp once more. He blink-clicked a vox channel to his squad on his helmet display, and spoke to them all.

"Garon, Kharus, Tzarn, Dhkazr. We are leaving. Burn the place down and leave marks.", he spoke over the vox. He received three confirmation chimes. He waited a few seconds before opening a private channel between him and his friend.

"Kharus. We have to go. There'll be a patrol coming. We need to withdraw back to the others", he spoke

His brother responded in kind, "I am staying, cowardly brother. We can take a convoy head on and alone."

Arthrax smiled. His brother was known to love the feel of combat and a bloodthirsty man. He was also the only apothecary left in the warband.

"Brother, we are leaving. There is more blood to come. The fools of this world will bleed.", he spoke to his brother.

Silence came in reply and then he saw the fourth chime blink in confirmation. Arthrax smiled. It had been a good raid. They had gotten more shells for their weapons, more chainswords and even captured a captain. Arthrax relished the torture he would inflict soon with the help of Kharus to the man. This planet will fall and the relic they sought would be theirs.

* * *

General LeDiano looked up from his papers on his desk as the doors to his room in the bunker slid open. He looked up to see his chief of defenses standing there. He walked in hurriedly and LeDiano could tell something was wrong. His face were dark and he looked scared.

"What is it, Romelius?", he spoke "What's wrong?"

"Sir. Station 3 hasn't responded for vox calls for three hours now.", spoke Romelius "We sent out an ornithopter… It returned a few minutes ago with a vid screen. Have a look…"

The chief of defenses handed the general a data slate with photo-images of the base. The general gasped at the images he saw. The base had been annihilated. Fires still raged and smoke poured out of every of the buildings. He saw bodies piled in corrupt sigils of…

"Chaos", breathed the LeDiano. "Servants of Chaos are on planet."

"Not just chaos sir…", mumbled the chief of defense. "look at the symbols"

LeDiano looked closer at the huge symbols made of bodies. He hissed as he saw the symbol.

The Mark of Khorne, made out of the dead guardsmen bodies.

"Assemble the army. And send out a distress call through the Astropaths. Call as many of our allies as you can.", spoke the General as he threw down the data slate on his table and drew his sword and pistol. "Full lock down on the planet. We're at war."

* * *

Arthrax raised his head. He heard the sirens wailing in the hive city a few hundred miles south of their position. He smiled again. Blink-clicking a vox channel he turned back to his walk back to his motorcycle and his squad awaiting him.

"Lord Crassus. The path is open. The city is locked and ready for taking.", he spoke.

Static replied to him, until a voice broke through: "A fine job Arthrax. We are coming down. Attack now."

Grinning manically, as he straddled his bike, he now spoke to his squad. "Brothers, mount up. We attack."

With a great roar, the five bikes ripped off into the barren wasteland towards the city. Behind them, in the distance, three great landers appeared in the livery of the World Eaters, descending to the earth to deposit their payloads of warriors.

Arthrax grinned as he and his squad roared towards the city.

Blood would be spilt soon.


End file.
